Going natural

I tried making some natural cleaners tonight. Since we have a sensitive skinned toddler, and I have lung issues and can't breathe around strong chemicals, I've been exploring different methods.

The first thing I made was laundry soap. To begin, grate a bar of Fels-Naptha soap. I'd never heard of it, either. But it was right there on the shelf in the laundry aisle! You'll also need a box each of borax and Arm & Hammer super washing soda. After grating the soap bar with a cheese grater, I mixed in one cup each of the borax and washing soda. The end. One tablespoon of the mixture cleans an entire load! Here is where I found the directions.

Grating the soap. It looks like cheese!

All done.

All mixed up

I also made a daily shower spray, found on Curbly.com. There were no directions, only a formula of 1:1:2 mix of baking soda, vinegar, and water. I finally found a large empty spray bottle (96 cents at Home Depot). I hoped that dissolving the baking soda in the water first would eliminate the foaming issue that comes from mixing it with vinegar, but no luck. I had a mess all over my kitchen! I tried it out this morning, and the baking soda is still thick in the bottom of the bottle. I had to shake well before using, and during use to keep the sprayer from clogging. I'll definitely try something else next time. It was too messy to make, doesn't mix well, and leaves a baking soda residue all over the shower fixtures.

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